Posthumous Stela with Amunhotep I and Ahmose-Nofretary

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Occasionally an Egyptian artist rendered personalities from the distant past in an updated style. This stela shows the early Dynasty 18 king Amunhotep I (circa 1514–1493 B.C.) and his mother, Ahmose-Nofretary, making an offering to Osiris, god of the dead, on behalf of a man named Nebamun. Despite the presence of Amunhotep I, the work does not date to his reign. The slanted, almond-shaped eyes, short upturned noses, and sharply modeled outlines of the figures all characterize art from the time of Amunhotep III. By commissioning this stela, Nebamun, whose image is now broken away, was calling on two long-dead members of the royal house to help him gain immortality.

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CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Upper part of a round-topped stela of limestone. Represented in shallow sunk relief, are seated Osiris, facing right, and Amenhotep I with his mother Ahmose-nefertiri both facing Osiris. The stela appears to have been dedicated by one Nebamun.

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